Multiple-lock securing system

ABSTRACT

A multiple-lock securing system for providing access to a secured area by releasing one of the locks. A bar has a security device attached thereto. A locking plate contains openings with locks positioned therein. The bar can be fastened to the locking plate when the locks are positioned in each of the openings. When one of the locks is removed from the locking plate, the bar is released providing access to the secured area.

United States Patent 1 Tuttle June 17, 1975 MULTIPLE-LOCK SECURING SYSTEM [76] Inventor: Herman L. Tuttle, 12167 San Fernando Rd., Sylmar, Calif. 91342 [22] Filed: July 3, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 376,253

[52] US. Cl 70/14; 70/DIG. 63 [51] Int. Cl E05b 73/00 [58] Field of Search 70/14, 18, 15,57, 58,

70/DIG. 63, 262, 263; 292/148 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,707,125 4/1955 Ritter 292/341.15 2,856,220 10/1958 Easley 2,963,895 12/1960 Thomas 3,656,789 4/1972 Ray 292/304 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 200,863 11/1958 Austria 70/18 Primary ExaminerRobert L. Wolfe Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Nilsson, Robbins, Bissell, Dalgarn & Berliner 57] ABSTRACT A multiple-lock securing system for providing access to a secured area by releasing one of the locks. A bar has a security device attached thereto. A locking plate contains openings with locks positioned therein. The bar can be fastened to the locking plate when the locks are positioned in each of the openings. When one of the locks is removed from the locking plate, the bar is released providing access to the secured area.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures MULTIPLE-LOCK SECURING SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The field of art to which the invention pertains includes the field of securing systems, particularly with respect to a multiple-lock securing system for providing access to a secured area upon removal of one of the locks.

2. Description of the Prior Art Multiple-lock securing systems, which provide access to a secured area used by a large number of persons, require for the system to remain operative, that each of the locks be fixed in a predetermined manner. Typically, a chain is wrapped around a gate post or an adjacent post fixed in concrete or the like. A multiplicity of locks are fixed along the length of the chain. Removal of one of the locks releases the chain, while retaining the remaining locks intact. Upon replacement of the removed lock, the chain is again secured in place. Typically, each individual user may have his own lock opened only by his own key, which will provide access to and from the secured area. If one of the users should replace the lock in a wrong position, then the area may be entered or left only by opening that particular lock. As a result, individuals are often locked into or out of the secured area due to the improper positioning of one of the locks.

Known prior art includes US. Pat. No. 2,963,895.

The present invention provides a multiple-lock securing system for providing access to a secured area. Each of the locks can be easily repositioned once the user has opened the secured area. Each user is provided with a separate key and lock and thus, should one of the users lose his key, the lock can be replaced with a new lock operative by a different key.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multiple-lock securing system shown partially disassembled;

FIG. 2 is a locking plate used in a two-lock securing system;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a multiple-lock securing system incorporating the locking arrangement of FIG. 1;

and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a locking bar utilized in the embodiment of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a multiplelock securing system constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. The securing system of FIG. 1 can be utilized with up to four individual locks illustrated as a first, second, third, and fourth lock l2, 14, 16, and 18, respectively, each of which is opened by different keys. A generally rectangular upper locking plate 22 and a lower locking plate 24 are positioned in parallel planes. The upper and lower plates 22 and 24 are similar in size and have their peripheries aligned in common planes. The plates are separated from each other by means of a spacer 26 which extends transversely at the center of the plates and is sandwiched therebetween. The plates and spacer 26 are secured together by means of rivits 28.

The upper locking plage 22 contains openings 32, 34, 36, and 38 respectively, at each corner of the plate. These openings are aligned with similar openings 42, 44, 46, and 48 in the lower locking plate 24, respectively. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the first lock 12 is shown secured to the upper and lower locking plates 22 and 24. The first lock 12 contains a shackle 52 which passes through the aligned openings 32 and 42, of the upper and lower locking plates 22 and 24, respectively. The second lock 14 and third lock 16 are shown in similar locked position. The fourth lock 18 is illustrated unlocked with its shackle 58 removed from the respective openings 38 and 48 of the upper and lower locking 1 plates 22 and 24.

A first bar 62 of generally T-shaped configuration is integrally formed of a base 64 and an arm 66 and has a thickness less than the spacing between the upper and lower locking plates 22 and 24. The free end 67 of the arm 66 contains an aperture 68 to which the end link 72 of a first chain 74 is attached. The bar 62 is normally positioned with one side of the base 64 adjacent the spacer 26. The side of the base 64 integral with the arm 66 is adjacent the openings 34 and 36 of the first locking plate and openings 44 and 46 of the second locking plate. In this position, which is illustrated in FIG. 1, the free end of the arm 66 extends outwardly from between the plates. The shackle 69 of the second lock 14 is inserted through the openings 34 and 36 in the upper and lower locking plates and the shackle of the third lock 16 is inserted through the openings 36 and 46 of the upper and lower locking plates. The first bar 62 then cannot be removed from between the upper and lower locking plates. The length of the bar base is approximately equal to the width of the plates 24 and 26. Should the sides of the arm 66 be moved to an extreme position adjacent the second lock 14 or the third lock 16 shackles, the base 64 would still be blocked by the shackles 69 and 70. Further, since opposite sides of the base 64 are secured between the shackles of the locks 14 and 16, and the spacer 26, little angular movement of the bar 62 can occur.

The securing system further comprises a second bar 76, also of T shaped configuration, having similar dimensions as the first bar 62. The bar 76 includes a base 78 integral with an arm 82. The free end 84 of the arm 82 contains an aperture 86 to which the end link 88 of a second chain 90 is attached.

The bar 76 can be secured between the upper and lower locking plates 22 and 24 by the first and fourth locks, 12 and 18, in the same manner as the bar 62 is secured by the second and third locks 14 and 16. When the shackle 58 of the lock 18 is removed from the openings 38 and 48, in the upper and lower locking plates 22 and 24, the base 78 of the bar 76 can be moved parallel to the spacer 26 until free of the shackle 52 of lock 12. Then the bar 76 can be removed from between the plates as is illustrated in FIG. 1. Similarly, the bar 76 can be removed by releasing shackle 52 of lock 12.

The embodiment of FIG. 1 has been described as connecting the end links of a first chain 74 and a sec ond chain 90 together. The other end links of the first and second chain 74 and 90 are each normally secured to a permanent structure such as a post or wall (not shown) thus completing the integral structure. It should be understood that the ends links 72 and 88 could also represent opposite ends of a continuous chain as well.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a securing system used with only two locks. A U-shaped locking plate 102 is formed of an end section 104 which is secured to a first upstanding arm 106 and a second upstanding arm 108. The openings 112 and 114 in the first arm 106 free corners are aligned with openings 116 and 118 in the second arm 108 free corners, respectively. A perpendicuIarly-extending leg 122 is threaded into a threaded opening 120 formed in the outer surface 123 of the end section 104. An aperture 124 at the free end of the leg 122 can have an end link of a chain (not shown) attached thereto similar to the chain utilized in the arrangement of FIG. 1. A bar of T- shaped configuration similar to the first bar 62 of the embodiment of FIG. 1 can be used to attach the end of a chain to the locking plate 102. A lock and shackle arrangement as in FIG. 1 can then be provided for securing and removing the T-shaped bar from the locking plate 102. The threaded leg 122 enables the locking plate to be made adjustable at its connection with a wall gate. Alternatively the leg 122 can be made integral with the surface 123. The leg 122 performs the same function as one of the arms of the bars 62 or 76 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown an arrangement for ganging a plurality of locking plates such as the locking plates 22 and 24 of FIG. 1. This embodiment can be used when more than four locks provide access to the system. A generally H-shaped bar 206 shown in perspective view in FIG. 4 is utilized to interconnect a first locking plate system 202 to a second locking plate system 204. The bar 206 comprises a pair of side rails 208 and 212, which are interconnected by means of a perpendicularIy-extending and integrallyformed central arm 214. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the rails 208 and 212 provide the same function as the bases 64 and 78 of the bars 62 and 76, respectively, of FIG. 1. The central arm 214 extends transversely between the rails 208 and 212 and interconnects the adjacent sides of the locking plate systems 202 and 204. T-

" shaped bars 222 and 224 are used at the non-adjacent sides of the plate system as in the arrangement of FIG. 3 is similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 2, and with any one of the eight locks illustrated in FIG. 3 removed, a chain secured to the bars 222 and 224 is released. The arm 226 of bar 224 is illustrated as being elongate in configuration as compared to the arm 82 of the bar 76 of FIG. 1. This extension enables the locking plate to be grasped easier at the arm 226 which then acts as a handle.

Should it be necessary or desirable to utilize less than four locks in the arrangement of FIG. 1 or eight locks in the arrangement of FIG. 3, the aligned openings in any one of the corners of the locking could be replaced by a rivet. Additionally, it should be understood that the arrangement of FIG. 3 could be further ganged for additional locking plate systems, thereby making provision for adding any multiplicity of four additional locks. The I-I-shaped bar 206 of FIG. 4 could also be used to interconnect the securing system of FIG. 1 with that of FIG. 2 where only six locks are used.

What is claimed is:

1. A multiple-lock securing system for providing access to a secured area by releasing one of a plurality of locks comprising:

first and second locking plates defining openings therein for positioning said plurality of locks in said openings; bar means having a base and an arm extending therefrom, said base being positioned adjacent to two of said openings, each of which may receive one of said locks therein, the length of said base being greater than the distance between said openings;

means for interconnecting said first locking plate to said second locking plate comprising an integrally formed member having a pair of bars, one of said bars being secured to said first locking plate, and the other of said bars being secured to said second locking plate; and

means formed on said locking plates for enabling said bars to be fastened to said locking plates when said locks are positioned in said openings and removed therefrom when one of said locks is removed from its respective opening. 

1. A multiple-lock securing system for providing access to a secured area by releasing one of a plurality of locks comprising: first and second locking plates defining openings therein for positioning said plurality of locks in said openings; bar means having a base and an arm extending therefrom, said base being positioned adjacent to two of said openings, each of which may receive one of said locks therein, the length of said base being greater than the distance between said openings; means for interconnecting said first locking plate to said second locking plate comprising an integrally formed member having a pair of bars, one of said bars being secured to said first locking plate, and the other of said bars being secured to said second locking plate; and mEans formed on said locking plates for enabling said bars to be fastened to said locking plates when said locks are positioned in said openings and removed therefrom when one of said locks is removed from its respective opening. 